Adjustable night stand and bed tray



Jan. 21, 1964 N. T. SARKUS 3,118,399

ADJUSTABLE NIGHT STAND AND BED TRAY Filed June 12, 1962 INVENTOR.

NOREEN T. SARKUS ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,118,399 ADJUSTABLE NIGHT STAND AND BED TRAY Noreen T. Sarkus, 155 McKean Ave., Donora, Pa. Filed June 12, 1962, Ser. No. 201,883 3 Claims. (Cl. 108-49) This invention relates to an adjustable bed tray and, more particularly, to detachable mounting means for providing slidable and pivotal adjustment for detachable supporting means for a bed tray so as to make the tray tiltable, as well as foldable underneath the bed, or behind the head or foot post, in selective storage positions.

An outstanding disadvantage of adjustable mounting means for bed trays as presently used is that they are relatively complicated in construction involving numerous and expensive parts and yet fail to provide suthcient adjustability to suit varying requirements by a bed patient, for example.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel mounting means for a bed tray to enable adjustment in height and in tilt of the bed tray, together with numerous additional adjustments, including slidabie and rotatable adjustments of various parts of the tray supporting structure to enable sliding movement of the tray along the entire length of the bed and rotatable and collapsing movement of the parts of the supporting structure to enable folding of the tray alongside or underneath the ed or behind the head post or foot post.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, elevational view of a bed equipped with a tray supporting means embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of the tray supporting means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken through lines IIIIII of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the tray and part of the pivotal supporting structure thereof; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the rotatably adjustable assembly 5 shown in FIG. 2.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, numeral 1 denotes a side rail of a bed B, on which side rail is mounted a channel shaped clamp 2 which is longitudinally slidable along the length of the side rail 1 and which may be held in any selected longitudinal position by tightening of the wing nut 2a screw threadedly connected to a side flange of clamp 2. A channel shaped support post 3 is provided having closed off ends and being of substantially Cr-shaped cross section. Integrally connected to the center of the side flange thereof is a support flange 4 extending horizontally through the opening of post 3 and which is integrally connected to a rectangular tube 6. Telescopically fitted over tube 6 is a rectangular tube 9. The ends of telescoping tubes 6 and 9 are yieldably connected together by a spring 8 having one end which bears against the head of plunger 7 and the other end, against the outside surface of the end of tube 9. The inner end of plunger 7 is connected by nut 7a to the end of tube 6. This arrangement provides selective turning of tube 9 relative to tube 6 by 90 increments by merely sliding tube 9 out of telescoping relationship with tube 6 while compressing spring 8, and thereafter rotating tube 9 about the axis of plunger 7 in 90 increments until the desired relative position is obtained, and thereafter telescoping again tubes 6 and 9, thus giving any 90 adjustment over an angle of 360. In FIG. 2 the dot and dash outline of clamp 2 shows the position of the clamp when rotated counterclockwise by an angle of 90. Thus, support ddl fihh Patented Jan. 21, 1964 post 3 may be moved along either side of, or above or below clamp 2.

Longitudinally on support post 3 is a clamp 11 which may be held in any desired position along the length of post 3 by turning of a thumb screw (not shown), similar to Zn. Mounted on top of clamp ll is another rotatable adjustment, denoted by numeral 12, comprising an outer tube in of rectangular cross-section and a telescoping inner rectangular tube 13 onto the end of which is secured a plunger 14 for holding a helical spring 15 such that tube 13 may be withdrawn from tube 16 out of telescoping engagement while compressing spring 15 and then rotated by increments to any selected angular position, such as the one shown in the dot and dash outline, throughout an angle of 360. Thus the vertical rectangular tube or post 10 mounted on clamp 11 may be moved either vertically upwardly or vertically downwardly or forwardly or rearwardly in parallel relationship with side rail 1.

Adjusting means are also provided for selectively adjusting the height of bed trays 22 and 24, as well as to enable swivel movement thereof in a horizontal plane, as well as tilting movement. integrally secured to, and extending at right angles from tube 13 is a rectangular tube 17 having an internal threaded nut 17a rigidly secured inside the top portion thereof which is screw threaded at a threaded shank 20a which is rotated by cranking a crank 21a which drives through miter gears 20 and 21. Pins 21b which are integrally secured to diametrically opposite portions of a cylindrical tube 210 separate from shank 20a are connected to opposite walls of a te1escop ing rectangular tube 19 so as to etfect lifting thereof as the result of cranking movement of crank 21a. Tray supporting rod 18 extending horizontally has an 90 vertical bend extending downwardly into tube 19 and which may be swiveled in any horizontal position and held in such position by tightening of a thumb screw 18 which engages a circular groove 18a. To the bottom end of rod 18 is secured a nut (not shown) whose head fits under a closure plate on top of the cylindrical tube 21c. Thus the rod 18 may be selectively lifted or lowered, or pivoted in a horizontal plane about the axis of threaded shank 20:!

A tilting adjustment is also provided for the trays which is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. To the bottom of tray 4 there is integrally secured by rivet or other fastening means 26, end portions of flexible metal straps 25. The other ends of straps 25 are connected to bearings 27. To the bottom surface of tray 22 is rigidly secured an inverted U-shaped bracket 23. Angular adjustment of the tray 22 relative to tray 24 as illustrated in dot and dash outline is obtained by unscrewing knob 31 from threaded shank 29 so as to loosen the hold of hook 30 on rod 18 and allow the pivotal mounting bracket to pivot about the connection between the legs 32 and rod 18. Thus a book may be placed on tray 22 for reading purposes while inclined, as shown in dot and dash outline, while tray 24 is held horizontally for supporting food or beverages.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an eificient mounting means for a bed tray for enabling a wide range of adjustments including tilting, lifting and lowering movements of the tray, as well as slidable and pivotal movements, in increments of 90, of various component parts of the mounting means, whereby the tray may be moved either alongside the bed, forwardly or rearwardly, or so as to fit behind the bed post or foot post, or to enable pivotal movement of the entire mounting assembly underneath the bed, out of sight.

While I have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes no modifications may he in do within the contemplation of my invcntion and within the scope of the 011 wing claims.

I ciaim:

1. For use w th a bed havi g si e rails, mounting means winding a c ip slide-lily ed on one of said side rails, 11 support post exten g in close parallel rci' ionship i 'th one of said side rails, means for adjustably rotating said post relative to said clamp in angular increments of 90 so that it may be positioned on the side of, or above or below sa clamp, comprising telescoping flat sided tubes includ 1g spring means for yieldably holding the ends of the tubes together in telescoping relationship, whereby upon removing of one of the tubes from telescoping relationship against the action of said spring, said support post may be rotated in increments of 90 and the tubes thereafter rc-telescoped in the newly selected angular pc on.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 together With a seco= d clamp slidabiy mounted on said support post and a tray supportin post sdjustahly mounted on the top of said clamp, includ 2g means for selectively rotating said tray supporting post relative to said second clamp through 4 increments of 90 including selectively tclescopetl, fiat sided tubes whereby said tray supporting post may extend vertically upwardly or downwardly, or horizontally parallel to said support post.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 together with means mounted on the top of said tray support post for adjusting the height thereof, and means fo swiveling the tray in a plane at right angles to the axis of said tray supporting References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,043,633 Sneed Nov. 5, 1912 1,655,812 Blako et al Jan. 17, 1928 1,862,237 Pepler Juno 7, 1932 2,050,115 Nichols Aug. 4, 1936 2,185,948 Pimm Jan. 2, 1940 2,193,647 Rush et al. Mar. 12, 1940 2,460,244 Strauss Jan. 25, 1949 2,692,806 Grace Oct. 26, l954 2,709,818 Freese June 7, 1955 2,921,825 Spiegel Jan. 19, 1960 3,054,122 Sarkus Sept. 18, 1962 

1. FOR USE WITH A BED HAVING SIDE RAILS, MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A CLAMP SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID SIDE RAILS, A SUPPORT POST EXTENDING IN CLOSE PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF SAID SIDE RAILS, MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY ROTATING SAID POST RELATIVE TO SAID CLAMP IN ANGULAR INCREMENTS OF 90* SO THAT IT MAY BE POSITIONED ON THE SIDE OF, OR ABOVE OR BELOW SAID CLAMP, COMPRISING TELESCOPING FLAT SIDED TUBES INCLUDING SPRING MEANS FOR YIELDABLY HOLDING THE ENDS OF THE TUBES TOGETHER IN TELESCOPING RELATIONSHIP, WHEREBY UPON REMOVING OF ONE OF THE TUBES FROM TELESCOPING RELATIONSHIP AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING, SAID SUPPORT POST MAY BE ROTATED IN INCREMENTS OF 90* AND THE TUBES THEREAFTER RE-TELESCOPED IN THE NEWLY SELECTED ANGULAR POSITION. 